28.5m2 / 307 sq ft St. Ghislain ceramic floor

A large 28.5m2 / 307sq ft ceramic encaustic floor c.1900, produced by the period ceramic house of S.A de Carrelages, St Ghislain in the Henegouwen region of Belgium. The tiles are 15cm sq and are stamped ‘St G’.

The floor has been reclaimed from a pair or rooms in a fine house in Charleroi, Belgium and is complete with its original double border tiles, one full size, one half size.

The style is rich, embracing a fluid vegetal themed motif and a classic ‘links within links’ design. The level of detail on both a single tile and the final tessellation of the floor is remarkable. The restored colours, having had years of old dirt, cement and wax professionally removed are autumnal with burnt orange, dark red, leaf green and mustards present on fonds of sky blue and white. Owing to the original handmade production process of the tiles there is some slight variation in tile sizes and occasionally in the tonal variations of the slip.

Physical proof that they really do not make them like they used to, this is a quality heavy tile of exquisite design and a rich slip colouring good for the next hundred years. This ceramic encaustic floor can be laid inside or outside as high summer or sub-zero winter temperatures will have no effect on a tile fired to over 1,100 degrees F.

Tile quantities (give or take one or two):-

FIELD – 1,070  tiles - 24m2 / 258 sq ft

LARGE BORDERS – 139 tiles - 3.1m2 / 33.4 sq ft or 20.9 linear metres / 68.4 linear feet

SMALL BORDERS – 130 tiles - 1.5m2 / 16.1 sq ft or 19.5 linear metres / 64 linear feet